“Nightfall” by Karim Elmahmoudi

Categories: Alternates/Rejected Covers · Custom Covers · Original CoversTags: · · · 3 Comments

Early January I registered myself on the John Williams Fan Network and it wasn’t long until a very nice bloke named Karim Elmahmoudi messaged me and asked if I’d be interested in designing an original cover for him. He’s a musician, orchestrator and of course classical composer from Los Angeles and has worked on such prestigious projects as Spider-Man 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic or the recently released Grim Fandango remake. His work ORBIT: A Symphonic Fantasy is being played at the California Science Center (permanent home of the Space Shuttle Endeavour) as the theme music of their IMAX productions….

“Whiplash” by Justin Hurwitz, Tim Simonec, Various Artists

Categories: Custom Covers · Tribute Covers · Vinyl CoversTags: · · · 2 Comments

Whiplash is just as good a terrifying example of megalomania, as it is a love letter to music, musicians and drummers in particular. A parable of competitiveness and self-abandonment. How far would you go and what sacrifices are you willing to make on the way? Well… Whiplash goes all the way and over the edge and it stops at nothing. It’s the Black Swan and Fight Club of drumming. Maybe it’s because I’m a drummer myself or maybe it’s the insane filmmaking I’ve witnessed, but Whiplash left a deep lasting impression on me. I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie drags a crowd of young…

“Birdman” by Antonio Sanchez, Various Artists

Categories: Alternates/Rejected Covers · Custom Covers · Digital Booklets · Original Covers · Vinyl CoversTags: · · 1 Comment

Congrats to Alejandro González Iñárritu for winning big time at last nights Oscars. He’s definitely among my favourite directors and I salute to his skill and creativity. I love his body of work ever since 21 Grams and it’s about time he gets his well-deserved recognition. The highly unusual drum score for Birdman has been “composed” (or rather improvised) by Jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez and is definitely worth a listen. It’s really fascinating how Sanchez is able to create moods and tensions only with the sounds of a drumset. My first custom (#1) is based on the fantastic one-sheet poster, designed by Mark W. Carroll and photographed…

“Jupiter Ascending” by Michael Giacchino

Categories: Alternates/Rejected Covers · Custom Covers · Mockups · Original Covers · Vinyl CoversTags: · 4 Comments

Oscar Season! It’s that time of the year again. When Hollywood is collectively blowing its own horn. But because all critics are busy watching the screeners that filesharers are so grateful to share with us all, any film released during January and February automatically falls into that awardless oblivion. And so Oscar chances for all other professions associated with the film are ruined as well. Much to Michael Giacchino’s demise Jupiter Ascending is one of those films. One that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will pretend not to exist by the end of the year (just like they did with…

“Inherent Vice” by Jonny Greenwood, Various Artists

Categories: Custom Covers · Mockups · Original Covers · Vinyl CoversTags: · · 1 Comment

A quick throw-in for Jonny Greenwood’s latest effort. The whole ad campaign for Inherent Vice takes us back to Boogie Nights times and I’m sure every P.T. Anderson fan goes nuts for this film. Overall this 80’s inspired neon style is currently coming back big time. To use this widescreen banner for the custom digipack was self-evidently, I’m only wondering why no-one else did it before me (at least in the custom cover circles I’m hanging around). Not much work was necessary for this cover. I just had to get hold of the proper font types (“Drescher Grotesk” and “HLT RollingPen“) and extended the artwork a little bit…